Falling for You: A Joe Walker Love Story
by Txrangers36
Summary: Joe and Katy have literally grown up together, but how will their relationship evolve as they journey through the ups and downs of life? Joe Walker/OC but will eventually include all of StarKid and possible ships (Breredith, Crisspez, Joime, etc.)
1. First Day

**Hi everyone! This is a story I've been working on for a while, and I'm hoping by posting it here it will give me encouragement to continue with it. It's basically about Joe growing up with his childhood friend and how they go through the ups and downs of life. There will, of course, be romance involved ;) It will include the rest of the StarKids eventually as well.**

**(And yes, the main character's name is Katy, which is my real name, and we do share some characteristics but I am not trying to live vicariously through her or anything, it's all just for the sake of the story.)**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and please be sure to review so I know what you think!**

*11 years earlier*

My glow-in-the-dark Scooby Doo alarm clock sat on my bedside table, silently counting down the hours until my nightmares would become a reality. When it finally turned to 7:00 a.m., lights on the clock began to flash rapidly and Scooby moved back and forth, pretending to run away from a scary monster while yelling, "Raggy! Wake up! Raaggy!" I poked my head out from under the mountain of stuffed animals piled around me and sighed.

_I'm not going, and no one can make me!_ I thought determinedly.

I grabbed a stuffed Mickey Mouse and chunked it at my alarm clock, knocking it off the table and silencing it with one final "RAAAGGYYY!" I pulled the covers back over my head and burrowed back down under my covers, praying the stuffed animals would protect me from the outside world.

But it was only a couple of minutes later when I heard my mother bustling up the stairs and entering my room.

"Katy, dear! You need to get up, darling. It's your very first day of Kindergarten!"

She walked over to my bed and yanked away the covers, revealing my small, quivering body.

"I don't want to go, Mommy!" I cried, desperately hiding my face in my pillow.

"Why not, honey?" my mother asked, a slightly amused expression on her face. "You're going to have so much fun! You will learn lots of new things, play games, and make so many new friends!"

I kept my face buried a few moments longer, but finally turned my head slowly to face my mother. I looked up at her smiling face, tears welling up in my eyes and spilling silently onto my cheeks.

"No, I will hate it" I said seriously. "I'll never be able to make any friends. No one likes me!" I sobbed into her chest. "Please, please don't make me go."

My mother pulled me away from her loving embrace and gently took my small face in her hands, forcing me to look deep into her warm, brown eyes.

"Listen to me, Katy. You are a wonderful young lady, and any of the other children would be foolish not to like you. I bet you'll even have all the little boys chasing you around within the first five minutes. You did get your mother's good looks, you know" she winked at me playfully.

"Eww, gross!" I exclaimed, scrunching my nose. "Boys have cooties!"

Although I thought what my mother said was disgusting, I couldn't contain the small smile growing on my face. She always knew exactly what to say to make me feel better. We just had that special bond only a mother and daughter could share.

_My father left when I was only two years old, abandoning his wife, two sons, and myself, forcing my mother to deal with the pressures of having a full time job as a middle school teacher and being a single parent to three very needy children. I was so happy to have my mother there for me though, I did not even feel the need for a father. In fact, I like to think it just would have made everything too crowded._

Finally, after much more encouragement and a tiny bit of prodding, I was off to the big yellow school bus that would take me to my very first day of school.

**Be sure to stick around because little Joseph is coming up in the next chapter! :)**


	2. Friendship for Life

**Here is chapter 2 I hope you enjoy it :)**

Kindergarten, I decided almost immediately, was not nearly as wonderful as my mother had it cracked up to be. In my homeroom class, none of the children even attempted to talk to me, and I didn't dare try to muster what little courage I had and ask to join the other little girls in their game of "dress-up." I was more than aware I was unlike other girls my age, preferring Hot Wheels over Barbie dolls, wrestling matches with my older brothers over silly little tea parties, and blue and green over pink and purple any day.

When the school bell rang out, signaling it was finally time for lunch, I was seriously considering making a run for it. I probably would have done it, too, if only I wasn't so terrified of being caught and getting into trouble. But I couldn't stand it any longer; I had to get away.

Knowing no other escape, I silently left my single-file line of classmates headed to the cafeteria and slipped into the next hallway. I wandered around aimlessly for a few minutes, still being extremely careful not to get caught. I was desperately hoping I would be able to find something that could bring even a little comfort into this strange foreign place, but all I saw was white hallway after white hallway, rows and rows of olive green lockers, and the identical gray doorways of the same boring classrooms.

I soon became so overwhelmed with confusion I started to panic, still searching desperately for anything that looked even the slightest bit familiar. With the second round of tears of the day threatening to escape my eyes, I took a chance and hurried down one of the long plain hallways, finally coming upon the one thing that actually seemed familiar and welcoming—the library.

Though I had just learned to read on my own one year ago when I was four, books had quickly become my main obsession. I devoured book after book, soon running out of children's short stories and diving into kids' novels—sometimes, I even read the dictionary for fun.

My tears had begun to subside as I quietly turned the knob on the tall, wooden door and entered the room. My eyes widened and mouth gaped open as I came upon row after row of books, completely amazed. I had never seen so many books gathered in one place before.

My tiny fingers were lightly dragging along a row of Beverly Clearly novels when I heard the oversized door being flung open, followed by a few panicked whispers.

"Where could she be? Ugh I can't believe this happened to me again! It's only my second year teaching and this is already my fifth child to lose track of!"

I immediately recognized the strangely high-pitched voice of my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Lowry. The second I first met her in class I knew I didn't like her. Her purple frilly dress did not suit her squat figure at all, and her annoyingly loud hyena laugh drove me completely insane.

Desperately trying not to get caught, I ducked out of sight into a small alcove and jumped behind what looked like a barricade made of books stacked up neatly from the floor. I scrunched into a corner, hugged my knees tightly to my chest, and shut my eyes, thinking that doing so would somehow make me invisible.

Mrs. Lowry sauntered through the room a couple minutes longer and then let out a sigh of exasperation, defeated. She quickly left the room to continue her search somewhere else, and I finally gave a sigh of relief.

"Phew... That was close."

"What was close?"

I let out a terrified gasp (knowing not to scream for fear of being found) and my heart seemed to jump right out of my chest. I was so focused on hiding I hadn't even the slightest knowledge that this secret space was already being occupied.

After I somewhat recovered from the initial shock and my mind started coming back into focus, I took a good look at the person patiently sitting just a few feet to my left, legs crossed Indian-style and hands clasped together in his lap.

He was a young boy of my exact same age, with light brown hair, soft, pale skin, bright rosy cheeks, and the most intense, bright blue eyes I had ever seen. They stared into my hazel ones intently, patiently waiting for me to speak.

After several long moments, I finally gathered my words and mumbled shyly, "Oh, I-I'm sorry. I didn't see you." I turned my face, knowing at any moment he would yell for me to leave him and his special hiding place alone.

But he didn't say anything at all. He just sat there in silence until I finally turned my head back to meet his gaze.

"You didn't answer my question" he said matter-of-factly. "What was close?"

"Um, well I didn't want my teacher to find me" I explained, still being very timid. This was already the longest conversation I'd had with anyone outside of my family.

"Why?" the boy asked curiously, raising his eyebrows slightly and cocking his head to the side.

_Why is he not mad at me?_ I thought. _Boys my age are never nice to girls, plus I stole his hiding spot._

When I thought about how to respond to his question, I suddenly remembered why I was even there in the first place, and started tearing up once again.

"Because I hate it here!" I suddenly yelled, causing the boy to jump in surprise. "I hate school, I hate my teacher, none of the other kids will even talk to me, and I miss my mommy!"

I was no longer being the shy little girl anymore.

He stared at me intently for a few moments, and then looked away, as if deeply considering what I just said. Finally he turned back to me and stated with the same bluntness as before, "I don't like school either. My teacher is so old she has to have fake teeth that wiggle around when she talks, all the other kids are mean, and I'm sorry you miss your mommy. I miss mine too."

I stared at him, unblinking. I couldn't believe everything he had just said. I was so sure no one would understand what I was going through or how I was feeling.

Suddenly the boy turned to the side, reaching for something that I couldn't see. He slowly pulled an object out of a rumpled brown paper bag, revealing a slightly squished mess of bread, peanut butter, and jelly. He had obviously made his own lunch that day.

He carefully tore it in half and held the part in his right hand out to me.

"You like PB & J?" he asked. "Here, take half. My mommy made it special for my first day. She said it would bring me good luck and promised it would even help me make new friends."

I accepted the sandwich and he smiled triumphantly. "Looks like it worked."

I smiled back timidly, for the five seconds of courage fueled by my anger had faded, once again leaving the shy, sensitive little girl back to her original self.

"What's your name?" the boy asked.

"Katy West. What's yours?"

"Joseph Schwartz Walker" he said proudly, raising his chin in the air.

I giggled. "That's a funny name."

He frowned, his bright blue eyes fading the slightest bit. "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is" I said, giggling even harder. "But that's okay, I like it. It's different."

"Oh." His frown faded slightly, but after a few seconds it quickly returned. "Well, your name is very plain and boring. I don't like it at all."

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and I lowered my head in shame.

_I knew he wouldn't like me. I was right, no one does._

But Joseph wasn't finished speaking. After a slight pause, he continued, "But you do act different. You're not like all the other kids I've met today. Your name's plain but you're different, and I like that."

He then gave me a huge grin, showing his two missing front teeth and deep dimples on either cheek.

My eyes widened and I looked up at him in amazement, but I soon grinned back widely.

It was like an unspoken vow—this one look at each other and we both knew it meant friendship for life.

**I hope you liked it ok. Please be sure to review so I know what you think, and also be sure to tell me what I could work on to make it better! I already have several chapters written out, but your ideas are always welcome too :)  
**


	3. The Question

**Hi again :) I hope you enjoyed young Joe and Katy, and now here's chapter 3!**

"Joe, come on! We have to get to class!" I called over my shoulder as I hurried down the hallway.

I heard the distinct sound of a locker door being slammed shut and the thud of quickened footsteps on the linoleum floor until their pace soon matched my own. I looked to my side, and there he was, panting slightly as he worked to keep up with me.

"Sorry, I couldn't find my math book!" he sighed, completely exasperated.

_Typical Joe_, I thought, unable to contain a small smile. _Always so disorganized._

We walked down the long hallway to our Calculus class in comfortable silence. I glanced over to Joe and we smiled fondly at each other.

It was hard to believe eleven years had passed since that fateful first meeting in the library. Time slipped away so quickly, though I never regretted a single minute of it. Through many gruesome years of schooling, to Joe's father's tragically fatal car accident, to dealing with my crushing periods of depression, nothing could tear us apart. Our companionship was undoubtedly one of the things we both held most dear.

"So, how's the play coming along?" I asked him as we walked into the classroom. "Are you nervous yet for opening night?"

I sat down in a desk near the back of the room, carefully pulling out what I needed from my backpack, while Joe flopped down in the seat next to me.

"Course not, Kit-Kat" he said casually.

I rolled my eyes at the stupid nickname, but he paid no heed to my defiance—he never did. The matter of getting rid of that moniker was an argument I simply could not win. Joe had given it to me when we were only six years old, when he walked into my room one day to find me being not-so-lady-like and pigging out on a giant sized version of the chocolate covered wafer.

Joe suddenly turned to me and smiled, his dazzling blue eyes sparkling as he spoke. "I'm not worried about the play at all, as long as I have my best friend front row and center to cheer me on."

I grinned and gave him a friendly shove of the arm in return. "Wouldn't miss it."

Yes, Joe was a theater nerd. But he was a fantastic one, at that. I couldn't recall how many times I'd seen him perform on stage and think he would never be able to outdo himself, but time and time again, he had proven me wrong. I couldn't wait to see what kind of insane twist he would put on his character Dorothy in Roosevelt High's upcoming spoof of _The Wizard of Oz_.

Somehow we were able to get through Calculus without too much trouble. One time, however, I happened to look over at Joe to see him gripping his head in his hands, obviously frustrated.

As the bell rang and we walked back out into the hallway, Joe muttered in my ear, "That class is seriously going to be the death of me!"

I patted him on the arm in encouragement. "Don't worry; I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon."

"No, I won't. Let's face it, I suck at math." He let out a groan and started to walk away.

"Don't worry, Joseph" I called after him, jogging to catch up. "I'll tutor you. It'll be fine."

He slowed and seemed to consider this for a moment. Finally he huffed and said, "Good. Because I'm gonna need all the help I can get since I won't get to be in the play if I don't pass. How pissed do you think Ms. Fields will be if I tell her I'm not in?"

I let out an involuntary snort. Ah, Ms. Fields, the beloved drama teacher of… well, no one. Students absolutely despised her, and she returned that sentiment with everything she had in that frail, decaying little body of hers.

Joseph Walker, however, was an exception.

Long story short, Joe was Ms. Field's most prized possession. And for good reason, sure. In a school so focused on things such as sports to devour every waking second of everyone's lives, hardly anyone even gave the performing arts a second glance. But when a slightly nerdy, skinny boy with a goofy smile came in one day and mesmerized an audience with a zeal for comedic timing and natural, untouched talent… well, so they say, a legend was born.

We continued down the hallway in silence, until I suddenly remembered something important.

"Is everything okay?" Joe asked as he turned back around to look at me. I hadn't even realized I stopped walking and had practically glued myself to the spot.

"I almost forgot…"

"Forgot what? We can go back and get it if you need t-"

"No, it's not that" I quickly corrected him. "It's something I, uh, actually wanted to ask you."

His brow furrowed but he stopped anyway. "I'm listening…"

"Um, well…" I quickly glanced about the hallway and finally found a resting place on his shoes. I could feel a slight blush creeping to my cheeks as Joe waited patiently for what I was going to say.

But when I didn't respond after several moments, he gave up and rolled his eyes at me.

"Seriously, Katy? You're gonna be like that, and in front of me!? I thought we talked about this whole shyness thing."

"I know, I know…" I sighed in frustration.

He grabbed my shoulders and hunched down slightly to my level, leaning his head in to force me to look into his eyes. "Come on, Kit-Kat. Just spit it out!"

"Oh, alright" I sighed again. "Well, you know the Sadie Hawkins Dance is coming up and—you know I really don't like dances—but Mariah told me I don't have a choice this time because I'm apparently 'missing out on all the fun'. But I don't want to feel weird without bringing a date so…" I mumbled the last part, "I was wondering if you might want to go with me."

My eyes darted from his face and then back down to his shoes, not sure exactly where to look.

"Oh…" was all he replied.

I could hear the surprise in his voice, and I looked up quickly with widened eyes. "I mean, if you don't want to that's completely fine. Or if it's too weird or whatever, since we're just friends, that's fine too. Or—"

"Whoa, just relax for a second" Joe chuckled, thoroughly amused at my rambling. "I was just a little unprepared for that. Of course I'll go with you." He grinned, then bowed and held out his hand. "In fact, it would be my honor."

I smiled gratefully and laid my hand in his. "Thank you" I replied, a rush of relief I didn't know I had been anticipating suddenly washing over me.

"Always a pleasure."

And with that, he gave a small wink and then walked off to his next class.

* * *

**I want you all to know that I'm not doing this story just for the reviews, but it would be nice to have a little feedback so I know if anyone is actually enjoying it. So please, review review review!**


	4. The Dance

**Here's chapter 4! I'm starting classes again tomorrow so I might not be able to update as often as I'd like, but I will try the best I can!**

I peered at the reflection in the mirror, not entirely convinced it was my own. The figure in front of me looked so much different, so much older than the plain-faced, simple dressing tomboy which had become my primary identity. Instead, my face was almost oversaturated in makeup, and my dark brown hair fell down just below my shoulders in large ringlets. My usual jeans and t-shirt were obviously not appropriate for this occasion.

At the moment I was wrapped in a bath towel, awaiting my mother's final preparations on the dress.

It was my crazy mother who had planned out everything; the hair, the makeup, the dress, the jewelry. She even thought out Joe's attire with careful precision. She was so thrilled at my willingness to attend an actual dance—with a boy, no less—that she had literally gone all out to help me prepare for the occasion. Despite my numerous reminders that it was only a semi-formal affair, she simply ignored me and carried on with her plans.

I finally heard a light tapping on my bathroom door, along with my mother's animated voice.

"It's ready, dear!" she sang excitedly.

I opened the door and she strode in, revealing the highly anticipated dress that had taken her three weeks to sew. I scanned the dress from top to bottom, admiring the careful stitching and beautiful details in the emerald green fabric. I had to admit, it really looked incredible.

"Wow, mom. It looks amazing!"

She helped me quickly slip into the dress, and, after adding a thin silver necklace, spun me around to examine the final product.

"Oh, my. Katy, you look absolutely marvelous! Joe will love you in this!" she breathed, grasping her chest with both hands.

I knew her heart must have been exploding with joy. Her only daughter, who insisted on wearing t-shirts and playing sweaty sports, finally looked like a beautiful young lady.

Though I wasn't very comfortable in all the makeup and the slim-fitting dress, I knew my mother had worked very hard to make me happy.

"Thanks, mom" I said, hugging her tightly. "Everything looks amazing. I bet no one else's mom sewed their own dress for them!"

Suddenly, we heard the doorbell ring. My mother squealed in excitement and I followed her down the stairs and over to the front door.

My mother threw open the door to reveal a very spiffy-looking Joe, grinning widely and holding a large bouquet of bright flowers in each hand. His longish hair was parted and slicked neatly to the side, complementing his gray slacks, white long-sleeved dress shirt, and emerald green tie. The look suited him nicely, easily disguising his slightly scrawny figure but bringing out his ever beautiful blue eyes.

"For each of you lovely ladies" Joe said coolly, holding out a bouquet for each of us. "Mrs. West, looking beautiful as always" he winked, causing her to blush lightly.

I rolled my eyes at her. She was such a sucker for Joe's sweet talk; it was no wonder she always tried to convince me to go out with him. Talk about weird.

As my mother hurried to the kitchen to find vases for the flowers, Joe turned to me and held out his left arm.

"Are you ready, my darling Kit-Kat?"

I linked my arm with his and smiled. "Of course."

After taking pictures until our faces were numb, Joe and I climbed into his beat-up, red pickup truck and were off to the dance.

* * *

We arrived at the dance around 7:45, a little after it had officially begun. Who would want to be the first couple at a dance, anyway? The decorations were almost nonexistent and people were yet to step out onto the dance floor, but I was surprisingly excited nonetheless.

Almost as soon as Joe and I stepped inside, we were both mauled by our friends Mariah and Allison, who were jabbering excitedly about how amazing our outfits looked together, how awesome the dance was going to be, and who knows what.

We eventually made our way into the enormous room and ended up walking around and visiting with friends for most of the evening. But Joe eventually convinced me to join him on the dance floor, and we slow-danced for a few songs and _attempted_ a fast one. I was more than aware of my less-than-perfect moves, but it made me feel better knowing that Joe wasn't exactly… well, good either.

Despite our lack of skills, we still found ourselves having a good time. As the night went on, I realized more and more how happy I was to have asked Joe to be my date. He was so much fun to be around, and he knew exactly what to do to keep me laughing and enjoying myself.

Soon, when it was nearing the end of the dance, Joe and I gave up and went to get refreshments at a table the rest of our friends were socializing around. When one of Joe's theater buddies was cracking everyone up with one of his crazy stories about how he convinced his brother to jump off of their two story house and onto their trampoline, suddenly a very beautiful, popular blonde girl named Melissa approached Joe shyly. She smiled at him sweetly and he returned the gesture with his usual courtesy.

"Would you like to dance, Joe?" she asked, a hopeful expression adorning her pretty features.

Joe glanced over to me with slightly raised eyebrows, but I was quick to give him permission. "Of course, go ahead. I'm tired anyway." I wasn't really, but I knew how awkward it would have been if I had said no.

He took Melissa's hand, and after one more glance back at me, walked her onto to the dance floor. They seemed a little awkward at first, but soon, they were smiling and laughing like old friends as they became wrapped up in some sort of conversation.

_Aww, they actually kind of look good together_, I thought nonchalantly.

But then, the moment that very thought popped into my head, something buried deep, deep down inside me, in some tiny little crevice in my chest, seemed to give way.

I frowned. _What was that? Heartburn?_ I brought my hand up to my chest. _Nope, not heartburn._

It was definitely something strange, very foreign. Like an itch or something? No, not an itch. More like a pang. Very small and almost unnoticeable, but absolutely, undeniably there.

I was still watching Joe and Melissa swaying casually on the dance floor when Mariah walked up to me.

"So, what do you think about _that_?" she asked me, motioning to the two of them. "She totally just stole your date! I mean, she's nice and all, but it's obvious you and Joe came here together."

"No, it's fine" I said absentmindedly, trying to ignore yet another small pang in my chest.

"So, you're not even a little bit jealous?" Mariah questioned, clearly mind blown.

"Of course not" I brushed off again. "I mean, it's just Joe. And it's just one stupid dance, anyway." I pushed Mariah's shoulder lightly. "But why am I not surprised you're asking me this? Typical Mariah, always overthinking things."

"Mhmm. Yeah, whatever…" she said doubtfully, but finally gave up with a shrug and walked away.

I was relieved when Mariah finally left me alone.

The miniscule pang in my chest, however, still remained.

**Hmm what's going on with Katy? I hope you enjoyed it and please review :)**


	5. Heat Wave

**I'm sorry it took a little longer but here is the next chapter. And thanks to the people who have reviewed this so far, I really appreciate it!**

A few weeks after the dance things had basically gone back to normal. Joe's play was coming up soon—next week, in fact. To make sure he would pass Calculus and still get to be in the play, I had been tutoring him as much as possible.

We were seated at the dining table in my house, poring over our books for an important test the next day.

A few minutes later, Joe looked up at me from his book with utter exhaustion.

"This sucks. And we've been studying forever! Can't we just take a break and go watch a movie in your room or something?"

"Joe, it's only been an hour! Come on, you've been doing really good so far. Just keep studying."

He let out an exasperated sigh and dropped his forehead on the table. "Please, Katy. I just need a break…"

I smiled at him sympathetically. "Alright, how about 30 minutes longer and then we can go watch Spiderman or something."

"Yes! Thank you!" he exclaimed, grabbing my face and kissing me on the cheek dramatically.

Spiderman was currently our favorite movie of all time. Joe and I saw it together at the theater at least three times and ever since it came out on dvd, we had watched it a countless number of times. We both loved superheroes and other cool action characters, with Spiderman being Joe's overall favorite. I even found the perfect shirt for his birthday last month—it was dark pink in color and had an action shot of Spidey with the word "FTANNG!" spelled out above him. I was pretty sure that was the only shirt Joe had worn ever since. He was even wearing it now, in fact.

"Mhmm… now, back to logarithms. Concentrate!" I said, shoving his head back into the book.

* * *

30 minutes later, Joe and I were upstairs sitting on my bedroom floor at the foot of my bed, ready to start the movie.

"Ahh, Spiderman again…we definitely haven't seen this enough" I said sarcastically, leaning my head back against the bed frame and closing my eyes.

"Kit-Kat, seriously, you shouldn't talk about the Spidey like that. And this movie's a classic" Joe said seriously, although in his voice I could hear the trace of a smile. "Let's just watch and enjoy. Besides, anything's better than math."

With that, Joe hit the play button on the remote and leaned back beside me, stretching out his left arm and draping it around my shoulder. This was nothing out of the ordinary for Joe; it was really just a simple act of friendship. And although I wasn't as comfortable with physical affection from others, I didn't ever mind when Joe did it. His touch was so genuine and comforting that I often found myself longing for one of his bone-crushing bear hugs whenever I was feeling down.

This time, however, something was different. As Joe casually slid his arm across my shoulders, his fingers unintentionally grazed across my neck, sending a sharp and electrifying chill down my spine. I almost jumped in alarm, but didn't want Joe to think something was wrong. I immediately brushed off the feeling as an automatic reaction due to his cool fingers, and forced my focus back on the movie instead.

But it wasn't working.

As hard as I tried, I couldn't bring myself to notice even a phrase of dialogue in the movie. Joe's arm was way too distracting. It was a feeling I would never be able to describe, but I swore my skin was literally buzzing where our flesh came in contact. The strange tingling sensation slowly continued to spread, from my shoulders and slowly down through my arms, chest, even down to my toes. Like slow boiling water, my body was bubbling up inside and causing my skin to heat up rapidly.

And I had no idea how to react.

I just sat there, dumbfounded, my mind attempting to make sense of what my body was doing.

After about ten minutes of being silently frozen in utter shock, I couldn't handle it anymore. My flesh continued to boil, and I knew I would probably start sweating soon if I didn't get away from Joe, and quickly.

"Um, I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be right back" I said, shrugging off his arm carefully and hurrying over to the bathroom just a few feet away, not waiting for his response.

I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, my mind racing uncontrollably. I squeezed my eyes shut and reopened them, hoping that whatever was happening was just a dream, but to no avail.

I slowly walked over to the mirror and peered back at my reflection. My cheeks were flushed and my forehead was lightly glistening with sweat.

_What is going on with me?_ I thought to myself. I knew what had happened at the dance was surely a mistake, but now, I had no idea what to think. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before.

I tried looking deeper into my own eyes, hoping that I would find some sort of explanation buried way down inside. Nothing.

I finally looked away and closed my eyes once more, knowing I had to formulate some kind of plan to keep Joe from touching me again. I didn't exactly want him to leave, but I had to figure out what was going on with myself.

I gathered up my courage, opened the bathroom door, and slowly walked out into my room to reveal a squeamish-looking Joe.

"Are you okay?" I could see the mild concern in his eyes. "You were kinda in there awhile. I thought you might've flushed yourself down the toilet or something." He chuckled slightly at his own joke, but quickly stopped as he saw my serious expression.

I looked around the room for a moment, mind still formulating a plan, and then smiled at him sheepishly. "I'm sorry, but I actually don't think I feel so good. I think I might have a fever or something, it's like it just came on."

I tried to be as convincing as possible, and thankfully, it worked.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Joe stood up and walked over to me, placing his hand tenderly on my forehead.

My skin once again impulsively reacted to his touch; I could feel my face growing warmer by the second.

"You actually do feel kind of warm" Joe said sympathetically. "Come on, I'll stop the movie while you get yourself in bed. I'll just get my stuff from the dining room and head home to study on my own, that way you can get some rest."

With that, Joe pulled back the covers and ushered me into bed, tucking the sheets tightly up to my chin.

I protested at first, feeling like a little child, but he wouldn't have any of it.

"There" he said, with one final tuck. "Now you can just sweat the fever out. I'll be here in the morning to pick you up for school, but if you're still sick just call me and you can stay home. Now you'd better not get out of this bed until you feel better, okay?"

I nodded obediently. "Yes, sir."

"Alright then." Joe leaned down and kissed me lightly on the forehead. "Love ya, Kit-Kat. Feel better soon."

With that he stood up, walked back over to turn off the television, and then left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

When I was sure he was gone, I finally let out a sigh of relief.

_Thank God. Crisis averted!_

I leaned back into my pillow and eventually fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of heat waves and slow boiling water.

**Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review if you would like!**


	6. Changing

**Sorry it took a little longer but here is the next chapter!**

The next morning I awoke to the sound of my trusty old Scooby-Doo alarm clock, surprisingly still in working order even after all these years. I looked over at the time to see that it was 6:30 a.m. Way too early.

_Wait, why did I set my alarm for this time anyway? I don't usually get up until seven._

I sat up, dazed, attempting to clear my head. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my palms and slowly stretched out my constrained arms and legs.

Then, all of a sudden, everything came rushing back. Scenes from the past night came flooding into my brain, and I laid back against my headboard in a daze.

_Spiderman. Joe's arm. My burning flesh. _

It couldn't be true. Surely none of it had actually happened.

Joe. My best friend. My very best friend in the entire world, was…_changing_ me. And he had absolutely no idea. He had done nothing at all, but was somehow the cause of all this new found stress, confusion, and sheer panic building up inside me.

_Why am I being like this? I mean, this is so stupid, it's not like I could actually have fee-_

I couldn't even bring myself to finish that thought.

After a few more minutes of seemingly endless thoughts running through my mind, I finally realized I had woken up early so I could call Joe to tell him I was still feeling sick and would not be able to make it to school. I would talk to the teacher and schedule to retake the test another day.

It was a total excuse, but I absolutely would not, could not, face Joe today.

I reached over and grabbed my phone from the side table. I slowly dialed Joe's number, contemplating what to say.

_Don't forget to sound sick. Even cough a little or something. Joe doesn't have to be the only actor around._

I tapped my fingers anxiously as I waited for him to pick up. Why was I so nervous?

After three rings, Joe's voice suddenly broke through the other end of the line. "Hello?" He sounded tired.

"Hey, Joe" I managed in the sickest voice I could muster.

I heard him sit up abruptly in his bed as he said, "Hey, Kit-Kat. How're you feeling? Any better at all?" The concern in his voice was evident.

"Sorry, but no, I don't think so. I really don't think I should go to school today." I coughed a couple of times for effect.

"Aww, really? I'm so sorry. Well don't worry about it, just keep resting. Please feel better soon, though, I don't know how long I'll be able to survive without you! Love ya, Kit-Kat."

"Love you too, Joe. Thanks."

And with that, we both hung up and I fell back onto my pillow, replaying the conversation in my mind. Why did my stomach churn so sharply as I heard the simple sound of his voice? And how come my heart skipped a beat whenever he said he couldn't survive for very long without me?

_Oh holy crap, Katy. Stop being such a girl!_

I slowly raised myself up from the bed, buried my face in my hands and sighed, defeated.

There was no denying it.

"But you are a girl" I finally whispered aloud. "And you have feelings for Joe."

**This is kind of a filler chapter, I personally think it kinda sucks. Sorry it's short, too, but the next chapter should be a little longer and should be posted in the next few days. See ya soon!**


	7. Sick Day

After lying around for a couple more hours, flipping aimlessly through the channels on my small television, I finally decided to get out of bed and go to the kitchen to make myself some breakfast. I quietly tiptoed down the stairs, as if trying not to disturb anything. The house felt so empty and strange without anyone else there, and even more so that I knew I was supposed to be at school. I was definitely not one to just ditch school like it was nothing, especially without having a legitimate, honest explanation, and I couldn't contain the guilt seeping into my conscience.

I hated lying, especially to my best friend. Joe and I were always honest with each other, no matter how crazy the truth might be. We had even pinky promised on it back on the very first day we met each other, when we were only five years old.

All of these thoughts and memories ran through my head as I began scouring the pantry for the ingredients to make pancakes. I finally found them and twenty minutes later settled down into a chair at the dining table, ignoring the complete mess I made in the kitchen. I slowly cut off a piece and took a bite. They were decent, but not nearly as good as Joe could make them. On top of everything else he was good at, Joe was a surprisingly excellent chef, which was nice, considering my mother and I hardly knew the difference between fried and scrambled. Joe had cooked a countless number of meals at my house over the years, his signature dish being his warm, fluffy buttermilk pancakes every Saturday morning when he would come over before spending the rest of the day with me. He attempted to teach me a few things, and I picked up on some of them really well, too, but I knew I would never be able to match the heavenly delicacies that were Joe's special pancakes.

I wasn't even sure why I had decided to make pancakes in the first place, having known I would be utterly disappointed with the way they would turn out. Joe's skill was just much too good for my own.

_Joe, Joe, Joe. Just stop thinking about him. It can't be that hard._

It was time to start taking my mind off of him. Immediately. So I grabbed my plate of food and settled onto the soft leather couch in the living room, propping my feet up on the coffee table and flipping on the television.

The first thing that popped up? _The Amazing Spiderman_ cartoon, of course.

I let out a dramatic sigh and flipped through the other channels, desperate to have something that could distract me from the terrifying abyss of my own thoughts. I eventually settled on some kind of soccer movie playing on a random channel, and lay back on the comfortable couch, resting my head on one of the small pillows.

I soon found myself drifting off, eyelids drooping heavily. I pulled a blanket over myself and curled up, gratefully falling into the peaceful state of the unconscious.

After what seemed like only minutes of falling into a blissful, dreamless sleep, I awoke to someone forcefully shaking my shoulders.

"Katy. Katy, wake up! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at school, young lady!"

I slowly retracted my closed eyelids and squinted up at my mother, who wore a strange expression on her face, one that I had never before seen. It was one of surprise, anger, and a little bit of fear, all wrapped into one suspicious, unsmiling face.

I tilted my head up drowsily and let out a big yawn, buying a few more seconds to remind myself how to act.

"Oh, hey mom. What're you doing here?" I asked innocently. I smiled at her cautiously while trying to feign as much weakness and helplessness as I could, attempting to mimic the expression I usually wore whenever I was legitimately ill.

She cocked her eyebrow and continued to look down at me with the same strange expression. "I realized when I got to school that I left some of my graded papers at home, and decided to come pick them up during my lunch break. It's half past noon."

"Oh, ok" I said nonchalantly.

"Katy, I'll ask again. What are you doing home?" she said sternly.

"Uh, well…" I coughed. "I think I'm sick. Last night I started feeling bad and it wasn't any better this morning, so I called Joe and told him not to come pick me up for school."

At this information, my mother's features changed from accusation to one of worry and sympathy. "Oh, no. I'm so sorry, dear. I wish you would've told me, I could have gone by the drugstore to get some medicine." She rushed over to the couch and sat down on the edge beside me, gently patting my head.

"It's okay, mom. I'm sorry, I should've told you." The guilt I had already been feeling about lying to Joe now almost doubled in size, realizing my lie was now spreading to my mother.

"Do you still have a fever?" she asked, bringing a hand to my forehead. She left it there for several seconds, and then felt both cheeks. Her brow furrowed once again, suddenly making me uneasy. "Hmm, well you definitely don't have a fever. You actually don't feel warm at all. What else is hurting, dear?"

"Oh, uh, uh…" I sputtered. "Well, I've had a headache, and have been coughing and stuff, I guess." I looked away, not wanting to meet her gaze. I knew she could tell when I was lying; it definitely wasn't one of my strongest points.

She had since returned to the original expression she had worn when she first walked in. "Mhmm, well, that's strange. Because I know for a fact you only get a cough during the winter, when you have a cold."

"Well, I guess it just came late or something."

"No, it didn't. Look at me." I slowly lifted my eyes to meet my mother's, which seemed to burn straight through me. "Now, why don't you tell me what's actually going on."

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently, my mind frantically searching for some kind of logical answer to provide her.

"You know what I'm talking about."

I turned away from her. "I-, I can't."

She started rubbing my back softly. "What's wrong? There isn't one thing you shouldn't be able to tell me."

She gently forced me to sit up and speak. Once again, I refused to meet her gaze.

"Honey, what is it?"

"No, mom, I can't." Tears slowly began to prick at the corners of my eyes.

She took a long look at me and then slowly turned her face away to the television screen, suddenly dropping her voice to a whisper. She knew exactly what happening. "Is it…problems with your friends?" she lied.

"No, mom. Please, just stop!"

But she didn't.

"Boy problems?" Her voice got even softer.

I clenched my eyes shut, but a few tears still leaked through, running silently down my cheeks.

My mother's voice was now barely even audible. "Is it…Is it-"

_Please don't say it._

"Mom, please" I begged, tears now streaming freely down my face.

"Is it…Joe?" she whispered, finally looking back over to me. One look at my face, however, and she knew she was right.

My silent crying now turned into soft sobs, muffled by the couch pillow as I desperately clung my face into it.

"Oh, sweetheart" she said sympathetically, wrapping her arms around my body. "It'll be ok."

I was actually surprised she wasn't jumping up and down with joy at this point, her years of trying to convince me to like Joe finally paying off. But she knew that wasn't what I needed, so she just held me close, reassuring me that everything would be okay.

Except I knew it wasn't.

**Hope you liked it! Please review!**


	8. Surprise

**So here's chapter 8. I know it's a little short but I hope you all like it. I think I may start combining shorter chapters together so they don't seem so brief, either that or I'll try and make updates a little faster on the shorter ones. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy!**

My mother stayed with me for the rest of the afternoon, calling in for work and arranging a substitute to watch over her class. We didn't mention another word about Joe, both of us carefully avoiding the subject in any way we could.

In an attempt to cheer me up, my mother decided on having an action movie marathon, knowing first that they were my favorite and also knowing to dodge the sappy romantic comedies she knew I wouldn't want to think about.

I popped some popcorn and fell back onto the couch as my mother slipped in Bend it Like Beckham, one of my favorites. She flopped down on the couch next to me, and, grabbing a handful of popcorn, tried stuffing it all into her mouth at once. I laughed at her silliness, finally feeling myself start to relax as we engrossed ourselves in the movie. It was nice to share this time with her, not having had true mother/daughter time in a long while. With one of my brothers still at home attending college and having Joe constantly around the house, we never really had the chance to spend some quality time, just the two of us. I smiled to myself, realizing that my mother always knew exactly what I needed.

A few hours later, evening was finally approaching and we were getting hungry. As we were watching Transformers, my mother decided to call in and have a pizza delivered to our house. It was definitely a special day, because we never had pizza delivered. We usually never even ate it at all, considering my mom was a complete health nut. But she knew it was my favorite, so she willingly obliged and ordered a large pepperoni with extra cheese.

Twenty minutes later, Transformers was nearing the end, and although I had already seen it, I was completely entranced in the final battle and hardly even noticed the ring of the doorbell.

"I'll get it!" I only slightly became aware as my mother hurried out from the kitchen to answer it, assuming it was just the pizza delivery guy.

"Oh, hello Joseph!" my mother said in the most polite voice she could muster, completely taken aback by who was at the door.

As she said his name, my head immediately shot up, and I prayed I misheard her. But the sound of his friendly voice from the other side of the door came flooding in, causing my stomach to lurch forward in the strangest, most unfamiliar way.

I just sat on the couch, paralyzed, trying to make sense of the muffled voices coming from the other side of the wall. I prayed my mother would find some way to send Joe away, to tell him I was too contagious for him to see or something of the sort. But a few moments later, her cheery, yet cautious voice called me to the door.

I slowly shook myself of the trance and inched my way into the other room, heart and mind both racing with anticipation. As I finally entered the room, Joe's bright face was the first thing that came into view, even more adorable than I remembered it being before. He stood just inside the now closed front door, clad in jeans, a sweatshirt, and baseball cap, grasping a steaming pizza box in both hands.

He smiled as I walked over to him, deepening the dimples on his soft, sweet face. "Hey, Kit-Kat. How's it going? I was coming over to see you just when the pizza guy was coming up to your door, so I took care of it. Hope that's okay."

"Of course it is, sweetie" my mother said, who was still in the room, carefully examining my face to see how she needed to react. Satisfied that I probably wouldn't faint or do anything too rash, she thanked Joe and took the pizza from his hands and carried it into the kitchen.

For a moment I stood there, unsure of what to do, my feigned illness long forgotten as I stared at Joe's forehead, refusing to meet his eyes.

"So, how're you feeling? I was so worried about you. The whole day I couldn't even concentrate, although I do think I did pretty well on the Calculus test, thanks to you." He closed the distance between us and gave me a light hug, which I accepted rather shakily. I didn't think he noticed though, because after we broke apart he again smiled down at me. "You actually look pretty good, like you seem to be getting better."

I finally remembered my voice, responding a little hoarsely. "Oh, y-yeah. I think I am. Definitely better than this morning."

"Great!" Joe exclaimed, hugging me again tightly. "I'm so glad to hear that. Well, I just wanted to come by to see how you were doing, so I guess I'll just head back h-"

"Oh, no, dear. Of course you're going to stay here and help us eat this pizza. Katy would love it if you did." My mother had entered the room once again. Now that she had seen Joe and I together like this, she was immediately set back into her nosy, meddling ways. As she turned back around to retrieve another paper plate in the kitchen for Joe, she shot a mischievous grin and a wink in my direction. I mentally kicked myself and sighed. I should've known once I was past being upset this was exactly the thing she would try and do. Get Joe and I together as much as possible.

The rest of the evening was spent in the living room, continuing the movie marathon with pizza and, later, ice cream. Joe's naturally flirty conversation and occasional touches kept me on edge for the rest of the night, while my mother sneaked in glances and crazy smiles my way every chance she could. Needless to say, it was definitely one of the most awkward nights of my life.

**Thanks so much for the reviews and follows I'm getting, it really means a lot! I'll try and update again here in a couple of days.**


	9. The Play

The next day, everything basically went back to normal. Joe came and picked me up for school the next morning in his old, beat up, brick red pickup truck, considering I still didn't have a car. We had one of our typical, friendly conversations on the way, talking about things like my position on the school's soccer team, Joe's play opening on Friday, and video games. My side of the conversation wasn't forced like it had been the previous night, and I was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, I could get over this.

We walked into the school building side by side, casually greeting friends and other familiar faces as we went down the halls. I was surprised at how many girls were greeting Joe, stopping him for a few seconds to ask how he was doing or to tell him they were excited to see the play. He had always been good at talking to girls, of course, but why were there so many? Why was I just now noticing this?

I pretended not to notice and turned to have a short conversation with Mariah as Joe went to talk to some of his guy friends. She asked me if I had made a good recovery.

"Yeah, I'm feeling so much better. Thanks, Mariah."

"Good, I'm glad. Especially for Joe's sake. He seemed so weird without you being here." She let out an exasperated laugh and turned back to the mirror in her locker, doing last minute touch-ups on her makeup.

I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Huh?"

"About him being weird or something."

"Who was being weird?"

"Joe!" I ripped the lip gloss out of Mariah's hand and spun her around, forcing her to look at me. She got sidetracked way too easily.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry. I just mean that he wasn't acting like himself yesterday. He was, like, super quiet and really calm. I assumed it was because you weren't here. I think he missed you." She smiled wryly and turned once again to her mirror, now messing around with her eye shadow.

My already confused expression became even more clouded as I let Mariah's words and heavy implications sink in. I had already accepted the fact that I was beginning to have feelings for Joe, and was determined to get over them because I knew nothing would ever come out of it.

I had never even considered this new possibility.

_Could Joe have feelings for—me?_

I was ninety-nine percent sure I was being completely stupid. I immediately pushed the thought out of my head with a new, more realistic one.

_Joe cares about everyone. Maybe a little more for me, sure, but I'm his best friend. That's how he's supposed to react. But there's no way he would ever think of it as more than that._

But as I turned to head to my first class, my eyes wandered back over to meet Joe's across the hall. And as we smiled at each other, I felt myself shudder as I experienced, for the first time, the inevitable twinge of hope.

* * *

The rest of the week seemingly went by without a hitch. I was able to make up my Calculus test, catch up with other absent work, and mentally prepare myself for the critical soccer match approaching on Saturday. If we could win this game, our team would take first place in our region and automatically advance to playoffs. For our school, not having had a decent team in any sport in a long while, this was a pretty big deal. Students became increasingly raucous as the week progressed, chanting and running through the halls with noisemakers, silly string, and who knows what.

A lot of my time was spent trying to not get myself killed in the hallways, all the while dealing with an ever increasingly apprehensive Joe. Opening night of _The Wizard of _Oz on Friday was sold out, and he was getting nervous.

"Don't worry about it" I'd said to him yet again as were talking by his locker after school. It was Thursday afternoon, and the halls were already deserted since students rushed out as quickly as possible after the final bell. We would have been among them, except Joe had one more dress rehearsal and I had another practice. "You'll do great, you always do. Stop underestimating yourself. You and everyone else knows how good you are."

"I know, I know. I shouldn't be nervous at all; I know my lines like the back of my hand. But, just…what if no one likes it? They'll probably think me playing Dorothy is a really stupid idea or something, or won't even understand that it's supposed to be a parody. And I'm really not that good of an actor, and—"

"Yes, you are!" I grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. "You're the most amazing, talented actor I've ever seen. You will do incredible tomorrow, I promise. I have faith in you."

He considered my words for a moment and then smiled gratefully, reassured. But his smile soon turned mischievous as he raised his eyebrows as high as they could go and looked at me with a smirk. "_The_ best actor you've ever seen? Really? Even better than James Franco? I mean, I knew I was okay but I guess if I'm _that_ good then I—"

"Shut up, you know what I mean." I pushed him playfully. "And you should already know that _no one_ is better than James Franco. And when he and I get married and have 16 kids and—"

"Alright, alright that's enough!" Joe exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "I mean, he's really not _that_ good-looking anyway. I don't know why you like him so much."

"You're such a guy. You really wouldn't understand."

"Yeah, well…"

We laughed for a few seconds lightheartedly.

"It's okay. I still love you anyway" I said. We both grinned, and then simultaneously pulled each other into an enormous hug, enveloping the other in a blanket of warmth.

"You promise you'll be there front row? For every single performance?" he asked me, his voice muffled by my shoulder.

"Of course. And you promise you'll be at my game, screaming for me at the top of your lungs?"

"Definitely. Shirtless with body paint and all."

I laughed. "Thank you."

We remained in the embrace for a little longer, grasping each other for comfort. When we finally pulled away, Joe still held onto my arms, keeping our faces merely inches apart. His gaze was smoldering (even better than Flynn Rider's) as he stared deep into my eyes. I was entranced; I couldn't move even if I had wanted to. I stared back helplessly, just hoping I wouldn't crumble into a pile of dust at Joe's feet.

"I really don't know what I'd do without you." His voice was soft and affectionate, and suddenly very serious.

I completely forgot how to speak. I opened my mouth slowly but nothing came out. Instead, I just stood there, mouth gaping open, looking like a complete idiot in front of my best friend.

Joe slowly brought his face closer, again closing the distance between us. I was panicking on the inside but outwardly remained frozen in place, staring feebly as his head inched towards mine.

I didn't even close my eyes as Joe completely closed the distance, at the last millisecond lifting his head up to bring his lips softly to my forehead.

"You're the best friend I could ever ask for. So, just, thanks…for everything."

I felt my head move slightly up and down, vaguely acknowledging what he had just said.

It wasn't until Joe started to walk away for his rehearsal that I remembered how to function, and I slowly turned to stare after him as he continued down the hall, leaving me further and further behind.

* * *

It was 6:50 p.m. on Friday, only ten minutes before the play was set to begin. The theater was alive with chatter and mindless banter, everyone anxiously awaiting the curtain to rise. Mariah, my mother, and both of my brothers were there along with me and sitting in the very front, just like Joe had asked. We all conversed aimlessly until the lights finally dimmed, signaling to everyone the play was about to begin.

Joe was absolutely phenomenal. If I hadn't already said it enough, he was so unbelievably talented, I almost couldn't even wrap my mind around it. The entire room was in hysterics when he first came onto the stage, dressed in the exact outfit Dorothy wore, sparkly red heels, brown ponytailed wig and all. His girly voice was perfect, mimicking almost exactly the way Dorothy spoke in the movie.

He was able to stay in character incredibly well, despite the continuous laughter to at least half of his lines. About midway through, however, during the Tin Man's song, Joe glanced over in my direction and gave me a wink and a discreet smile. I blushed a deep crimson and gave him a thumbs up in return, thankful that the lights were so dim.

Everything went by without a hitch, except of course the occasional stumble or two of lines. All in all it was a huge hit, the entire rooming jumping to their feet at the end to give the cast a standing ovation.

We all shuffled out of the theater and into the lobby area to await and offer our congratulations to the actors and actresses as they came out from backstage. I stood on my tiptoes, searching for Joe through the sea of people separating me from the backstage door.

As I continued to wait anxiously, getting a bit impatient, my mother suddenly came up close and whispered into my ear. "Here, give these to Joe. Tell him you picked them out yourself, especially for him." She casually slid the small bouquet of flowers into my hands. "He'll adore you for it, I promise."

I looked up at her, blushing once more, but soon gave a grateful smile. "Thanks, mom."

She winked and patted my face softly, then returned to her conversation with her two boys.

I waited for what seemed like hours, but Joe never came out. I was beginning to get concerned, so I finally decided to look for him backstage. I tiptoed nervously through the dark hallway, whispering his name as I went along. He never answered, but I soon came upon a door labeled as the boys' dressing room. I lifted my hand and was just about to knock, when I heard a soft laugh coming from inside. I immediately identified it as Joe's trademark chuckle, and smiled to myself as I looked down at the flowers in anticipation.

I slowly turned the knob and pushed the door in a few inches, deciding to surprise him instead. His laughter became more audible as the door inched open, but I froze in place the instant I heard another voice chime in. A girl's voice.

_Melissa's voice._

Melissa, the sweet, beautiful blonde that had asked Joe to dance with her just a few weeks ago at the Sadie Hawkins Dance.

I tried to turn away, wanting to give them their privacy, but I couldn't. My mind told me I had to walk away, but my heart was like an anchor, keeping me rooted to the spot as I leaned in to hear more clearly.

They were flirting with ease, laughing at each other's jokes and teasing harmlessly. As I continued to listen, I felt my heart slowly begin to fall from my chest. It sank more and more until it felt like it was plunging into a bottomless pit, cold, harsh and unforgiving.

Then, all of a sudden, there was silence.

Confused, I peered carefully into the room, curious to see what was going on.

What I did see almost made me cry out in pain, for my heart was now completely shattered.

_She was kissing him. And he was kissing back. Happily._

His hands cupped her face gently as her arms clasped his waist, both smiling into the soft kiss with pleasure.

I tore my eyes away from the scene and pulled the door shut without a sound. Walking back down the long hallway, I tried to pull it together before going back out to see my family and friends. I came upon a garbage can and stopped in front of it, ripping the flower stems in half and shoving them through the lid. It was all I could do to force back the sobs threatening to burst from my weak, heartbroken chest as I went to join my loved ones once again.

**Sorry it's kinda sad, but I hope you all liked it anyway! More coming soon!**


	10. The Big Game

**Hi everyone, sorry for the delay but I had a lot going on with school and was out of town for a few days, along with working on a chapter for a new story that I'm working on. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for your reviews, follows, and favorites, they really make my day!**

I woke up at 6 a.m. Saturday morning, slowly going through the motions of showering and getting ready for the day. The big game was at 9 o'clock, and I needed to be as energized and prepared as possible.

When I had first woken up and dragged my feet into the bathroom, I took a look at myself in the mirror, only to find someone almost unrecognizable staring back. My entire face was slightly distorted and my eyes were still so swollen and puffy they could only open about halfway. The bags under my eyes were also dark blue and sagging, indicating a total lack of restful sleep.

I sighed heavily as I thought back to what happened the night before:

_I somehow was able to hold back my tears as I returned to my family and Mariah, all of them curious as to where Joe or I could possibly be. They looked at me expectantly as I walked up, but all I could do was mutter something unintelligible about not being able to find him anywhere. They could obviously tell something was wrong, but didn't question me any further when I asked if we could leave. No one said anything on the ride home either, leaving me to do nothing but reflect on my morbid thoughts and mental images that would no doubt cause me to have nightmares._

_As soon as we got home I bolted up the stairs to my room, flinging myself onto the bed and instantly burying my face into my pillows and sheets. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I made a slight effort to control myself for the sake of my family, but I knew my agonized sobs could easily be heard throughout the entire house. My brothers chose to ignore it, of course, oblivious to what I had been going through in the past few weeks. My mother also gave me more space than usual, only coming in once to hold me tight and allowing me to cry into her chest. She knew there was nothing she could do to cure the heartbreak I was feeling, without even needing to know what happened._

_When I finally stopped crying, not being able to produce any more tears, my sobs slowly turned into dry heaves of sorrow as I slowly drifted off into a restless sleep._

I finally got dressed in my uniform and went downstairs to eat a quick breakfast. My family was all in the kitchen, and as I entered they all turned to greet me.

"Good morning, sweetheart. How are you?" My mother gave me a sympathetic smile.

"I'm fine."

"Hey, Kate. Ready for the big game?" my oldest brother, Carson, asked. My mother must have laid down the law to my brothers beforehand, knowing now was not the time for teasing me about the night before.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Of course you're ready. You're gonna be awesome!" my enthusiastic brother, Clay, told me, grasping me by the shoulders and shaking them gently.

"Thanks." I didn't really feel like talking. I just turned to my oatmeal and ate in silence.

I also remained quiet on the ride to the stadium and even through the small crowd of cheering fans awaiting the players as they arrived. When I finally got to the locker room, however, the blaring music and excitement of my teammates caused a smile to creep onto my face. I was determined to let myself relax and put everything behind me, at least until the game was over.

When we went out on the field to warm up, my adrenaline finally started kicking in. There were so many people there. Almost the entire stadium was full of people, most bearing our school's colors as we were the home team. I was in awe of everything, and the excitement grew as time for kickoff was rapidly approaching.

It wasn't until ten minutes later, when I was practicing my juggling, that I heard him yelling my name. I turned to see Joe, along with several other guys, bare-chested and completely covered in body paint. They were all waving at me frantically, and I gave a small smile in return. Joe tried waving me over to come talk to him, but I simply waved and turned to join the line of girls shooting at our goalie.

He had tried to come over the night before, calling my phone several times, but there was no way I would answer. He then called our house phone and my mother had answered, but she refused to let him come over, claiming I was very nervous about the game and I had already gone to bed.

Though the thought of him distracted me for a few minutes, when I took the field to start the game, my mind turned back to only one thing. All other thoughts vanished as the referee blew the whistle and the game began.

All eleven members of our team were in total sync with each other, and before we knew it, we were winning 2-0. The atmosphere was electrifying, every single one of our fans on their feet and screaming at the top of their lungs. I let my concentration slip for only a moment to look into the crowd, seeing the looks of sheer excitement on my family's faces. I even dared to steal a quick glance at the row of shirtless boys, a single letter painted on each chest to spell out our school's mascot. They were the loudest of all, even starting the cheers and chants for the rest of the crowd to follow. I smiled at their enthusiasm but refused to let myself look over to the one I really only cared about.

We won the game with a dominating score of 7-0. The final whistle blew, sending the crowd into their biggest uproar yet. I hugged all of my teammates excitedly and then we went over to congratulate and thank the other team for an excellent match. Soon, we were back in the locker room, celebrating and dancing like maniacs to the blasting music.

Joe's P.O.V.

After the game ended and what seemed like an appropriate amount of time waiting for the girls to come out of the locker room, I began searching for Katy frantically. All throughout the game, I couldn't help but smile and scream like an idiot as my best friend helped bring her team to an incredible victory. I was so proud of her.

I continued to look until I finally spotted Katy's family gathered around a fence near the concessions. I hurried over to them and asked Mrs. West eagerly if she had seen her daughter. She hadn't, they were still waiting for her to come out of the locker room. I thanked her and walked away from them, resuming my search once again. I knew she wouldn't still be in there; it never took her very long to change.

I rounded the corner of one of the small buildings to the back, stopping dead in my tracks as I saw something I never expected coming.

There she was, slightly sweaty and still in her uniform, but mostly concealed by the pair of enormous arms engulfing her in a hug. The guy was extremely tall, 6'4'' at least, and he obviously seemed to know Katy well. They finally pulled out of the hug and continued talking to each other animatedly about who knows what, while I looked on in growing suspicion.

_Why do I not even know this guy? He seems to know her so well. He's definitely flirting with her, and she's basically flirting right back._

I turned to go back to Katy's family to wait for her there instead.

I didn't like this. I didn't like this at all.

Katy's P.O.V.

I was too excited to take a shower and get changed, so instead I left the locker room in search of my friends and family.

As soon as I walked out the door, however, I heard my name being called and turned to find myself staring into someone's strong chest. I turned my gaze upward to see a vaguely familiar, handsome face.

"Hey!" the man said.

"Um, hi" I said a little hesitantly.

"You don't remember me, do you? I was one of the sponsors at the soccer camp last summer, and you were in my group."

Realization spread across my face as memories from the local university's summer soccer program came flooding back. James was the student instructor assigned to my group. He was the main star of the university's team, and also well known for being a popular topic among the girls at my school.

"Oh yeah, of course I remember! You were one of my favorite leaders. You're really an awesome player."

"Thanks" he said with a chuckle. "Anyway, I just wanted to say I thought you had an amazing game today. You've actually improved quite a bit since I last saw you play."

"Thank you." I smiled a little bashfully.

We stood there in a few moments of awkward silence until James finally said he should get going. But as I turned to walk away, he suddenly grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. His arms were extremely strong, and I could feel his hard chest against my own body. I definitely wasn't prepared for his sudden action, but I surprisingly found myself enjoying the gesture and instantly moved my arms to hug him back.

**Hope you liked this chapter okay, I thought it was kind of a weird one myself, introducing a new character and all. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see ya soon!**


	11. Project Partners

It was now over two weeks since Joe's play and my soccer game, and everything between the two of us went back to normal, for the most part. I pretended I didn't have a clue as to what had happened the night after the play, the night I saw Joe and Melissa together in the dressing room.

Joe told me about her soon after, of course. He never kept anything from me. It was the next Monday at school when he stopped me midway through our random conversation that he informed me of his newfound relationship. He chose his words slowly, carefully studying my face as if he wasn't exactly sure how I would react. Since I had already known about Melissa, I knew it was coming. I had been practicing my reaction for hours, knowing Joe would have to tell me about it sooner or later. I told him how excited I was for him and was so glad he seemed to have found such a nice girl. Even though I wanted to, I could never bring myself to tell Joe how I really felt about it. It was his very first girlfriend, and there was no way I would mess that up for him. No matter how much it pained me, I just wanted him to be happy.

I decided it was better that I focus more on school anyway. My grades had been slipping a little lately, and I could not afford any more bad grades like I made on my last Calculus test. Joe, wishing me luck beforehand, had distracted me yet again and I found myself doodling his face on my paper when I was supposed to be figuring through a set of problems. My teacher obviously wouldn't accept a sketch of a pair of bright blue eyeballs instead of the graph I should have been drawing.

I hadn't seen James since the day of the game; however, we did text occasionally to see how the other was doing or to talk more about soccer. He was nice enough, and it was a relief to be able to talk to another guy so easily, with no complications whatsoever. I looked forward to the days we would send the other our advice or words of encouragement as a big match or important event was approaching.

Joe didn't know about James, but I really never even thought anything of it. I hardly even knew the guy, and I only texted him once or twice a week anyway, so I knew it wasn't a big deal.

Today was now Wednesday, by far the most boring day of the week. Nothing exciting ever happened on Wednesday, and being assigned a project worth thirty percent of our grade just made it all the worse. In Chemistry, we had to pair up with one other person and make a presentation together to discuss one of the groups on the periodic table. Luckily, Joe and I were in the same class, and we paired up immediately to choose the easiest group of all, the noble gases. We made plans to work on it the following Saturday since weekdays were always so busy with other activities.

It wasn't until later that day when Joe came up to me, excitedly explaining how Melissa was in another chemistry class and had the same project as well. She was originally working by herself, but since she also had the noble gases, she would be joining us to work on the project together.

_Working together, for hours at a time, would be the adorable new couple and the pathetic third wheel who secretly longed after her best friend. Great._

**Super short, I know. Sorry about that, but I've been pretty busy. Hope you enjoyed it anyway :)**


	12. Project Day

**I seem to be apologizing a lot when it comes to updating this story, but I truly am sorry for taking so long this time. Spring Break has been amazing but totally hectic with my family and other things going on. But I do hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks so much for reading and reviewing as always.**

Thursday and Friday came and went all too quickly. Next thing I knew, it was Saturday, the day I had been dreading.

I went through my usual morning routine before going downstairs to get some breakfast. This morning was different, though. Most Saturdays, I would wake up to the smell of delicious buttermilk pancakes wafting throughout the house. Since Joe and my mother were both early risers, he would always come over on the weekends around 8:00 a.m. and they would make some kind of amazing breakfast together, Joe always taking care of the pancakes or waffles and my mother the bacon, eggs, and sausage.

This time, though, Melissa suggested that we meet at IHOP before going to the library to work on our projects. Joe immediately agreed, not wanting to disappoint her by saying that was not the usual routine. Not wanting to intrude, though, I declined Melissa's offer and let the two of them go alone. I figured that's the way they probably would have preferred it, anyway. So instead, I ate my cereal on the couch and turned on the television to watch some of my favorite childhood cartoons.

Around 8:30, I finally left my house and headed for the library on my bicycle, considering I still didn't have a car and I told Joe not to worry about picking me up. It was a beautiful spring day anyway, the April morning sun shining brightly through a nearly cloudless sky. The library was only a few miles away, so I took my time and enjoyed the weather, letting the soft breeze caress my face and flow through my long brown hair. I arrived about half an hour later, latching up my bicycle on a rack and entering through the front doors to see whether Joe and Melissa were already there.

I couldn't find them, so I assumed they hadn't made it yet and settled into a table in a secluded area against one of the long white walls. I threw my backpack on the table and pulled out my things, carefully considering what supplies would be needed to start the project. I was actually trying to calm myself down a little, slowly taking long, deep breaths. I was growing more and more nervous as I waited, though I wasn't exactly sure why.

But soon I realized what the problem was. I hadn't _actually_ seen Joe and Melissa together as a couple yet, at least not while they were fully aware of my being in their company. I realized I had no idea how to act around Melissa. Should I treat her like a familiar, longtime friend, even though it wasn't true? I had really only said one or two sentences to her in my entire life.

I didn't have to worry about it long, however, because a few minutes later Joe and Melissa came walking through the doors, quietly chatting and giggling about something I probably didn't even want to know about. They walked close together but weren't holding hands, or really even touching at all. Taking note of this, I breathed a small sigh of relief. My wild imagination sometimes led me to believe all kinds of things, and lately, it kept getting worse. I could only think of Joe and Melissa madly in love, already planning their engagement, wedding, how many children they planned to have, etc. But seeing them together in this moment, I knew they definitely weren't too serious. At least not _yet_, anyway.

They quickly spotted me and I waved them over, making sure to put a friendly smile on my face.

"Hey, Kit-Kat!" Joe said with a huge smile, giving me a hug. "How has your morning been so far?"

"Pretty good, I guess. Just ready to get this stupid project over with." I took a quick breath to gather up my courage and turned to Melissa. "Hey, Melissa. How are you?" I asked her in the friendliest tone I could muster.

She smiled back at me sweetly. "I'm great, thanks Katy. It's good to see you again! I know we don't talk a lot, but it can be hard since we're never in the same classes or anything. And Joe's told me so much about you, I feel like I know you really well already!"

The three of us laughed lightheartedly, and I could see Joe just beaming away out of the corner of my eye. He must have been relieved that his girlfriend and girl-best-friend would get along so easily. It must be awkward, I assumed, to have me for his closest friend. Maybe, like I sometimes worried, I really was holding him back.

We spent the next few hours working diligently on our projects, Melissa and I surprisingly doing most of the talking. She really was a nice person. Even though I couldn't control the pangs of jealously I felt whenever Joe looked at her, I couldn't help myself from being fond of the girl, and I could definitely see why Joe liked her too. But it was all much to my dismay, because the more I came to like her, the more it all hurt. Every time she laughed or gave one of those winsome smiles with those beautiful white teeth, it was like I could feel him slipping further and further out of my grasp and into her even more wholesome, more charming, and more attractive one.

Like always, I tried to put everything behind me as we continued to work. We finished Joe and I's project first, making a very professional but intriguing power point that we knew the rest of the class wouldn't be willing to put half as much effort into doing.

Next, we began decorating a poster board for Melissa, her wanting to express a little more creativity than the rest of her class. We had just begun coloring in some flowers when I realized I needed to go to the bathroom. I excused myself and went off in search for a restroom, not even thinking twice about leaving my belongings behind.

Joe's P.O.V.

I never thought projects would be so much fun to work on, but I guessed having some pretty wonderful people around made it quite a bit better. I couldn't have been happier Katy and Melissa were getting along so well, and I realized I shouldn't have even been worried in the first place. While we continued to work, I mostly kept to myself and simply listened to the conversation folding out between two of my favorite girls.

Melissa was a great project partner, but sometimes she could be a little slow to process some of the information that was needed. Not that I was complaining, I was kind of a turtle myself. That being said, I was so thankful that Katy was there. She kept us all on track, making sure we had all of the right information and that we actually understood what all of it meant.

I was grateful for her presence for another reason, though, too. I really did like Melissa, but since our relationship was still kind of new it could sometimes be a little awkward between the two of us. I didn't know her very well before we started dating, so I often felt like I had to grasp at straws for any kind of subject she might find interesting. It was definitely a new experience for me, because conversation between Katy and me always flowed so effortlessly.

We were still working when it was nearing noon. Katy had just excused herself to go to the restroom, when I suddenly heard her phone buzz across the table to signal a text message. I wasn't going to look, but I remembered Katy saying that her mom was fixing lunch for the three of us and would text whenever she was ready for us to come eat. I decided it was relatively important, and Katy wouldn't mind if I looked anyway, so I reached over and flipped open the phone without a second thought.

But my eyes widened as soon as I read the name. I suddenly felt myself boiling up with rage as I scanned the carefully typed out message below:

**From: James D.**

**Hey, Katy. Just wanted to wish you a great weekend and good luck during the last few weeks of school with finals coming up. We really should get together and practice sometime this summer, it'll be fun** ;)

My hand began to shake with fury as I gripped the phone as tightly as I could, and I stood up so quickly the chair I had been sitting in flew backwards and onto the ground. Suddenly I knew the name of the guy who was hugging Katy so eagerly at the soccer game. I hadn't asked her about him, though I had remained slightly suspicious ever since. I hoped Katy would bring him up herself, but since she hadn't, I figured maybe it wasn't such a big deal after all. But here she was texting the same guy, who was obviously way too old for her, without so much as mentioning him to me once. I continued standing and waited impatiently for Katy to return from the bathroom.

Melissa took notice the second I saw who the message was from and tried to ignore it, lowering her head back down into her work and stealing worried glances at me every so often.

Only once, she asked, "Are you okay?"

"Fine" I said curtly, and then clenched my jaws shut again. I didn't mean to be rude, but at the moment I was too angry to care.

When she finally returned, I stood there with arms crossed, phone in hand, and what I'm sure was a look of pure betrayal etched across my face.

She could tell something was wrong as soon as she saw me.

"Joe, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"Why don't you tell me what's going on" I breathed through still-clenched teeth. "Or better yet, why don't we ask your _boyfriend_ what's going on!"

Her look of utter shock only added to my ever growing rage.

"What are you talking about? I don't have a b—"

I thrust the phone into her hands and she looked down at the opened message, realization soon crossing over her face. She looked up slowly, but not with quite the amount of guilt I had been expecting.

"Joe, I—"

"No, it's fine. You really don't have to explain anything to me. I mean, you go and get a boyfriend, who's way too old for you by the way, without even telling me about it!" My voice grew louder and louder until it was almost at a shout. People were staring, but I could've cared less and continued on with my rant. "And here I am, worrying that you won't get along with my new girlfriend because I wanted so badly for both of you to be friends. But little did I know, that was the very last thing on your mind because you were too busy flirting with some _college _guy!"

I could see her anger growing too as she processed my words. She looked over to Melissa, who was still pretending to be lost in her book, and then she turned to meet my bulging eyes once again.

She tried to control herself, but was now fuming as well. "Joe, he's not my boyfriend! He's just a friend who—"

I immediately interrupted, "If he's a friend then why would you not even mention him to me? You obviously don't want to tell me because you know I wouldn't approve, so you've been going behind my back!"

"No, I haven't! Joe, he's just a fr—"

"That's bullshit!" I yelled, only inches away from her face. I couldn't take it anymore, so I turned and stormed out of the library, ignoring the staring crowd, Melissa's shocked face, and the soft sobs coming from Katy's distraught figure as I slammed the doors shut behind me.


	13. Let's be Honest

**Super short chapter but another update will be coming soon. Also please go check out AnnaAbingdonabing's new story ****_A Nutter's Guide to Surviving StarKid_****, she would love you for it! Enjoy!**

Melissa's P.O.V.

I could not believe what had just happened. I was sure my face was one of complete and utter shock as I watched Joe rush from the library, positively furious.

I only knew him to be the calm, soft-spoken type, which I had to admit was one of the main things that attracted me to most guys. By the look on Katy's face, however, I could tell this was a rare occurrence. She was just as startled as I was, standing awkwardly in place as people continued to gawk and stare. But her pain was apparent as the tears streamed freely down her rapidly reddening face.

As soon as I recovered, I stood up and walked over to Katy, wrapping my arms around her in a hug.

"I'm so sorry" I comforted her. "He shouldn't have said that to you. He completely overreacted."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. It's all my fault, really. I should've told him about James sooner, but I honestly didn't think it would even matter." She paused and sniffled. "It's just…he's never yelled at me like that before. I've never seen him so angry."

I continued to console her, grabbing a tissue from my purse and giving it to her so she could wipe her face. "I understand, Katy. Like I said, he just took everything out of context and lost it a little. I didn't know he had that in him, either."

She suddenly looked up at me, her eyes widening with a sudden thought. "Oh, no. I'm so, so sorry you had to see that! I hope you don't think of him differently now because of what just happened. I was the one who caused him to react that way. Please, don't blame him."

I smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry, I won't think of him any differently just because of this one thing. But, I do think I know why he reacted the way he did."

Katy's confused expression led me to continue with my explanation. "Well, I know this may sound a little awkward, coming from _me_, but, well…I think Joe may care for you a _little_ more than you realize. A lot more, actually."

I should have seen it coming from a mile away, to be honest. I wasn't sure how I hadn't realized it years ago, watching from a distance as the pair of friends grew closer and closer throughout the entirety of their childhood and adolescence. But I guess I supposed that, whenever Joe and I recently started dating, maybe he just talked about her so much because he was trying to convince me that Katy and I should become friends. Now, I was certain that was not the case. Even if Joe wasn't completely aware himself, it was subconsciously living inside him. The way he talked about her constantly, how he smiled and his eyes gleamed so brightly when he said her name, how he grasped her closely to him in an embrace whenever they greeted one another. It was painfully obvious, really. And now, actually seeing the two of them together and up close, the looks of complete affection on both of their faces as they conversed with one another, there was no denying the feelings that lie underneath. And upon seeing the hurt on Joe's face after he saw the message on Katy's phone from another guy, I knew he would never be able to express the same degree of emotion toward me, or anyone else for that matter.

After hearing what I said she instantly opened her mouth to object, but I held up my hand to stop her. "Look, I'm not going to lie and say I'm not even a little bit jealous about it, because I am. But now that I realize what's going on, I can't come between it."

She stared at me with her mouth slightly open as I pressed on. "I know how you feel about him, Katy. We're both girls, so it's easy to tell with you. But I should've known sooner about Joe… Listen, I just want to say that I'm sorry about even getting involved in the first place. Just, don't let me, or this fight, come between you, okay? Don't mess it up, it's too special, it really is."

And with that, I gathered my things and left in search for Joe, knowing exactly what I needed to do.


	14. Sad Joe

**Another update! Enjoy!**

Joe's P.O.V.

The second I stepped out of the library and into the world outside, sunshine glaring down in my face, I looked around, having no idea where to go. I turned to the left and blindly started making my way down the blocks, forgetting about my truck but desperate to get away from the chaos I had caused just moments before. My mind was running frantically; I couldn't think straight even if I had tried. It was a miracle I even made it across the streets alive, completely oblivious to the oncoming traffic.

I just let my feet take me wherever they went, and about 20 minutes later, I found myself facing the vast, beautiful green park Katy and I often frequented when we were kids.

I walked over to an old rusted swing set, passing dozens of happy families and children along the way. This place seemed so peaceful, everyone full of joy and seeming utterly carefree. I sat in my favorite swing, observing the people around me in an attempt to clear my head. But I cringed when I saw a little boy and girl laughing together, running hand in hand over to the sandbox with their toys. It reminded me of when Katy and I would come, and we would spend hours upon hours playing together. We would push each other on the swing set, slide down the slides, and chase each other around until we would fall on the ground in a fit of giggles until we just couldn't laugh anymore.

I looked away and put my head in my hands. Everything was so messed up. I had just made my best friend cry. _Cry_. As I replayed the look on her face as I shouted at her over and over in my mind, I couldn't help the nagging feeling on my conscience. Had I overreacted?

_Yes_ was the answer that immediately popped into my head. _Yes, of course you did, you idiot! It was just one stupid text from some guy, and she said so herself she hardly knows him. And you made her _cry_! God, you're such a jerk._

It was true. It hit me as soon as I the thought came; I really was a jerk. One that didn't deserve someone like Katy as a best friend.

But the main thing I still couldn't understand was _why_ I had reacted so strongly to the whole situation. _Why_ did it infuriate me so much the second I found out that she was talking to someone else besides _me_? _Why_ did I intentionally mean to hurt her feelings and make her feel sorry for what she had done? And most importantly, _why_ was I feeling the sudden urge of panic as I slowly began to realize that Katy was now moving on from me? Sure, I was still her best friend, but I never really expected her to take notice of all the other guys and actually think about wanting to _date_ them.

I really should've known this day was coming, I suppose, but I guess I had secretly hoped it would never happen. Before I knew it, she would be leaving me, coming to tell me one day that she was about to run off and marry some rich, handsome doctor that I knew was a thousand times better than me.

_Not that she doesn't deserve that, it's just that she's…She's…Ugh, I don't know._

My feelings were running so amok I didn't know how to handle them anymore. I had never felt anything like this, and I wanted it to stop. But my heart only pounded faster and a lump formed in my throat until I began shaking with remorse. I couldn't hold it in anymore, so I just let it all go. I let it all out in front of the happy families, in front of the young boys who were probably already twice the man I was, and I let myself cry.

* * *

I cried until I was sure there were no tears left, finally leaning my head to rest on the long chain-link rope in exhaustion.

"Joe?"

I looked up, surprised at the sound of someone calling my name, to see Melissa approaching me. I turned away and tried to hide my face as best I could, not wanting her to see my puffy red cheeks and swollen eyes from all of the crying.

"Oh, hey" I said, trying to sound casual.

"Hey" she said with a sigh. "I was looking all over for you. You didn't take your truck, so I figured you had to be somewhere relatively close." She looked around. "But, why here?"

I shrugged and continued to look away from her. I really had no idea why. It was just where I ended up.

She walked up closer and sat down in the seat next to me, shuffling her feet in the sand before she looked back up slowly.

"Joe, we need to talk" she began firmly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Joe."

"No, I know I overreacted. I didn't mean to scare you or make…_her_ upset."

"No, really. It's okay. She and I both forgive you. But, I think we still need to talk about something pretty important."

There was a slight pause.

"You're breaking up with me, aren't you?" I asked bluntly. I knew what was about to happen, and I wanted to feel bad about it, I truly did. I wanted to feel like begging on my knees and asking for her forgiveness, but for some odd reason, I just couldn't bring myself to care. Not right now. I liked Melissa, but I supposed with all my pent up feelings finally rising to the surface, my relationship with her just wasn't at the very top of the list.

I could feel her gaze set intently on the side of my face until I finally turned my head and looked over to meet her stare.

"Joe, that isn't really what's bothering you, is it?"

I didn't even have to say anything; we both already knew it was true.

We sat in silence for a few moments, both of us now keeping our gaze downward and making patterns in the sand with our feet.

Suddenly, Melissa stood up and walked straight up to me, only inches away from my face. For a second I expected her to be angry, but in her expression I could only see honest compassion. "Listen. I know you can both work this out" she said. "But I just wanted to let you know—as if you didn't know it already—that I'm no longer involved. Just…be good to her, okay? She deserves the best, and so do you."

And with that, she quickly pecked my cheek, muttered a feeble "I'll miss you" and walked off in the direction she came.


	15. Realization

Still Joe's P.O.V.

After a while longer of moping around in the park, I finally decided to make my way back home. I stopped by the library first to get my truck, and by the time I arrived home it was nearing 6:00 p.m. I checked my phone, which had been ignored and left in my shorts' pocket up until now. I assumed my mother must have been angry I hadn't checked in with her all day, and wasn't at all surprised to find five missed calls, all from her.

I walked quietly through my front door, trying not to be heard. But there she was the second I entered; her tall, lean figure standing in the middle of the small front room. She looked so much like me with her light brown hair and blue eyes; there was no mistaking we were mother and son. Her arms were crossed and she looked like she was getting very impatient. She had obviously been awaiting my return for a while.

"Hey, mom" I said cautiously. It was never good to be on her bad side.

"Joseph, where have you been?" she demanded, irritation seeping through her voice.

"I was just at the park, it was no big deal." I walked past her and into our living room, crashing down onto the soft leather sofa.

She followed me into the room and continued to stand, towering over me as I hunched down further into the couch. I didn't mind getting into a little trouble occasionally, but when it was my own mother who was angry with me, she was just downright scary.

"Joseph, I received a call from Mrs. West earlier this afternoon. Katy's been worried about you."

My stomach churned the second I heard her name and I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat. I didn't want to talk about her, especially to my mother, and especially when I was still feeling so vulnerable.

"Joseph, did you hear what I said?" she asked sternly. Her school principal side was definitely coming out now.

I avoided her gaze but asked quietly, "Well, then why didn't she call me?"

My mother sighed and sat down next to me, the tiniest trace of sympathy now in her voice.

"Mrs. West told me about the fight you two had at the library. Katy thought you were still angry with her and figured it may upset you more if she tried to call. I think you should call Katy and let her know everything's alright."

I winced every time I heard her name; it felt like pulling off a newly formed scab to leave it raw, painful, and bleeding all over again. But it wasn't just a scab. This time, it was my heart.

"She was probably right. I would be upset."

My mother stared at me for several seconds, determinedly trying to interpret my expression. It was never really a thing to show each other our feelings, and I could tell she was having a hard time with it. Not that I could help her much; I really had no idea what I was feeling, either.

Since I couldn't provide her with any clues, she finally let out an exasperated groan in defeat. "Look, you know I don't know what's going on, but you two have been best friends since you could remember." She got up and started walking over to the kitchen to prepare for dinner. "Figure it out and fix it" she called over her shoulder.

* * *

I remained on the couch for the next hour, reflecting on the events of the day. And the more I thought about it, the more I knew I was wrong. I shouldn't have acted the way I did, and I needed to let Katy know how sorry I was.

I just wasn't sure if I was ready to face her quite yet. I knew I should talk to her in person, but I couldn't trust myself with how I would react to her being right in front of me.

It actually scared me when I thought about my earlier reaction. It made me come to realize that even though I knew I wouldn't like the idea of Katy dating someone in the first place, maybe my feelings toward the matter were slightly different than I had initially thought.

And just as soon as that realization crossed my mind, new images started dropping into my head. Every smile we gave each other when we greeted, every time I would grasp her in a hug, never wanting to let go. Every time she simply looked at me or touched me in the most casual way, but would still manage to send shivers down my spine. And remembering the time not too long ago when I wasn't thinking and almost kissed her in the hallway before going to rehearsal, but panicking at the last second upon seeing the repulsion in her eyes and trying to cover it up with a peck on the forehead instead.

As all these thoughts swirled around in my mind, I was able to come to one terrifying, painful conclusion. It was never _just_ friendship—not to me, anyway. For me it was so much more, and it always had been. I was just too slow to notice it up until now.

But, for the first time ever, Katy must have been slower than me to catch on to my developing feelings. Or maybe she already had, but was just too disgusted or too put off to even say anything about it. There really wasn't any other option, though, because it was more than obvious she didn't feel the same way.

And if she hadn't figured it out yet, I most certainly wasn't going to be the one to tell her. I wouldn't ever want to make her feel uncomfortable in any way, and the thought of her being awkward around me because she knew how I felt would absolutely destroy me.

That was when I decided to go talk to her. I needed to apologize, and ask for her forgiveness. Then I would tell her how much she meant to me, as a friend. And, as a friend, I would support her wholeheartedly with any decision she made when it came to her love life. I would push away my own selfish desires, because being a good friend always came first, no matter what.

I made the ten-minute walk to Katy's house, rehearsing the speech I would say to her in my head.

Once I arrived, I walked along the concrete path up to the front porch. I took notice of the opened garage door on the side of the house but didn't just want to barge in, so I rang the doorbell instead. No answer. Confused, I pushed the button a couple more times, but still no one came to the door.

_Maybe Katy's in the back yard _I thought to myself. _She does like to go out there to relax, and her mom's probably out getting groceries or something_.

As it turned out, I was right. She was right there as I swung open the gate, juggling and dribbling her soccer ball with full concentration across the green lawn.

The very last thing I expected, though, was for a second person to be there with her. But before I could back out through the gate again, before I could leave and bolt from the scene without being noticed, he called out to me.

Everything seemed to pass by in a blur. Katy stood off to the side, an unreadable expression on her face as James introduced himself to me. He was nice, but I hardly took notice as it took all of my willpower to keep from breaking down right then and there.

I knew what I had told myself just moments before: that I would be there for her, no matter who she chose to like. But I never possibly imagined it would feel this agonizingly painful.

**Sorry for such a long wait and I hope I can make up for it by posting another chapter in a couple days. Thanks for reading as always and please leave me a review!**


	16. Back on Good Terms

Katy's P.O.V.

I hated myself. I absolutely hated myself. I couldn't believe I was so stupid to let James come over to my house. I should've known Joe might come over to talk to me, whether he was coming to yell at me some more or even ask for forgiveness. But whatever Joe's intentions were for coming over, good or bad, I should've been there alone, waiting for him.

I really wasn't sure why I had called James in the first place. Maybe it was just my vulnerable state or not being able to think of anyone better at the time, but somehow I found myself spilling my guts to this guy who I still barely even knew.

He was a complete gentleman, of course, listening intently to my story about the fight and even providing suggestions on how I should have acted or what I should have said to Joe at the time. Finally, he had insisted on coming over in an attempt to help cheer me up a little and take my mind off things.

I should've known from the second I called him it would mean trouble. Besides me, James would be the very last person Joe would want to see.

But still I let him come over; Joe had found out, and now, he was even more hurt than before. I saw the pain in his eyes and heard the sadness in his voice. Once again, I had betrayed him.

Late that same night, around 11:00 pm, I decided to call Joe to tell him exactly what had happened. He had left my house almost as soon as he had come, saying he had to get back home because his mom was expecting him for dinner. I never even said a word to him while he was over; there was really no way to explain myself in that very moment. But I had to try to fix it now.

The phone rang several times before Joe finally picked up.

"Hello" he answered gravely. I could tell he was trying to sound emotionless, but I could still hear the weakness in his voice.

"Hey, Joseph" I sighed.

There was a long pause. Neither of us knew what to say.

I gathered my thoughts and decided to dive right in to my heartfelt apology.

"Joe, I'm so sorry. I know you weren't expecting him to be here when you came over. I really wasn't either, but, I don't know, it just kind of happened. I didn't know who else to talk to…"

"So, out of all people, you decided to call _him_?" There was a hint of anger laced in his voice now.

"I know, I know. I was really stupid. I'm so, so sorry." I was desperate for his forgiveness, but I wouldn't blame him if he hated me.

Joe took a deep breath on the other end of the line. "No, you shouldn't apologize. It was my fault anyway. I was too busy trying to get you to like Melissa that I wasn't paying attention to anything else. I would've noticed if you were talking to someone."

I didn't know how to respond to that, but a sudden thought crossed my mind. "Speaking of Melissa, is she okay? I know she went to find you earlier." I hesitated for a moment. "Are you guys still…okay?"

Joe didn't say anything. That could only mean one thing.

"Oh, no! Joe, I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot, I can't believe I caused all of this! I'm—"

"Katy, it's okay. Really, we weren't good together anyway."

"Of course you were! You guys were basically perfect for each other. Joe, I promise I'll get her back for you, just let me—"

"Seriously, it's fine. Just let it go, okay?" His annoyance practically screamed at me through the phone. I began to feel even worse, if possible.

_He must hate me. I just ruined his first relationship, and now I'm only making it worse by saying I'll fix it when I know I probably can't._

We remained in strained silence for a while longer before I finally spoke again. "Joe, I need to tell you something."

"Yeah, you do. So…when's the wedding?"

"Huh?"

"You and James, of course. Or am I not invited?" He had never used this type of sarcasm before.

_Man, he's really pissed off._

"Joseph…"

"Listen. You can date whoever you want, Katy. It doesn't matter to me."

"But Joe—"

"No, really. It's okay, I know you like him. I'm sorry for being angry earlier, too. But it's your life; you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I—"

"Joe, stop!" I yelled, immediately silencing him. "Listen, you know I would never intentionally leave you out of anything. And I don't blame you for being upset. I should've told you about James when we first started talking. But you have to realize, he's just a _friend_, nothing more."

I didn't know why I felt the need to emphasize so strongly that James and I were nothing more than friends. The bottom line was that I had still kept him a secret from Joe when I shouldn't have. It wouldn't matter to him whether or not James and I were dating as long as he at least _knew_ about it beforehand.

"Oh, okay." He spoke so softly I barely even heard him.

I lowered my voice to match his. "I'm sorry."

There was a slight hesitation on the other end of the line, but then I heard him let out a deep breath. "I forgive you."

"Really?"

"Of course. But only if you forgive me."

I smiled to myself. "Yes, of course I do. I can't stand us being angry with each other."

"Me either. But there is one thing I wanna tell you…"

"What is it?"

"Well…" He paused again, this time at least for a full minute. My heart immediately took off as he slowly cleared his throat. Was he actually…_nervous_? My thoughts started running away with themselves, and before I knew it they began going back to the one place I had been so desperately trying to avoid from the first moment I discovered my feelings for Joe.

But finally, he spoke. "I just want you to know that you can always tell me anything. And I would never have any intention of coming between you and a guy you might like in the future. If you want to date someone, do it. We're best friends, and I'll be there to support you all the way."

And there was my slap back into reality. I realized, once again, those special thoughts and wishes would never come true; they were like a fairytale, impossible to bring to life.

I felt stupid for letting my imagination get carried away, although I was still happy that Joe and I were back on good terms.

"Thanks, Joe."

"Of course, Kit Kat."

_And right back to the friend zone it is._


End file.
